This invention relates to drawer slide hardware, and particularly to an over and under telescoping slide assembly provided with a ball bearing slide mechanism. More particularly, this invention relates to a disconnectable over and under telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidable toward a retracted position to break a locked connection retaining an intermediate slide member in a partly extended position with respect to a stationary cabinet slide member.
A telescoping slide assembly is mounted in a cabinet to support a drawer or chassis for movement between a retracted position inside the cabinet and an extended position projecting outside of the cabinet. In most instances, a telescoping slide assembly includes at least three slide members. The first slide member is a stationary unit fixed to a cabinet and the second slide member is an intermediate unit extensible within limits from the stationary unit. The third slide member is extensible within limits from the intermediate unit and is the unit to which a drawer or electronic chassis is attached. In an "over and under" slide assembly, the third slide member is slidable along a path above the first slide member, whereas, in a "side by side" slide assembly, the third slide member is slidable along a path provided along the side of the first slide member.
One object of the present invention is to provide a telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidable along a path relative to the intermediate slide member to unlock a locking mechanism blocking relative movement of the intermediate slide member and the cabinet slide member so that the intermediate slide member is unlocked and movable from a partly extended position projecting away from the cabinet slide member to a retracted position alongside the stationary cabinet slide member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking mechanism that is configured to block relative movement of the intermediate slide member and the cabinet slide member in order to retain the intermediate slide member in a partly extended position and that is positioned on the intermediate slide member to be engaged by the drawer slide member as it slides relative to the intermediate slide member to a retracted position. Advantageously, the locking mechanism is moved to an unlocked position by the moving drawer slide member so that the intermediate slide member is free to move relative to the fixed cabinet slide member.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an easily disconnectable drawer slide member suitable for use in an over and under telescoping slide assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an over and under telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that can be disconnected from an intermediate slide member of the slide assembly by sliding the drawer slide member until it disengages the intermediate slide member so that a drawer or chassis mounted on the drawer slide member can be removed quickly and easily from a cabinet in which the slide assembly is mounted.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an over and under telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that slides in an intermediate slide member to disconnect the drawer slide member from the intermediate slide member and also to reinstall the drawer slide member in the intermediate slide member.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an over and under telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidable on ball bearings retained in an intermediate slide member of the slide assembly to a position disengaging the intermediate slide member so that the drawer slide member can be disconnected from the intermediate slide member while the ball bearings are retained in the intermediate slide member.
According to the present invention, a telescoping slide assembly is provided for supporting a movable drawer in a cabinet. The slide assembly includes a stationary cabinet slide member for mounting on the cabinet, a drawer slide member for carrying the drawer, and an intermediate slide member. The intermediate slide member includes a support bracket slidably connected to the cabinet slide member and an outer section fixed to the support bracket for movement therewith. The outer section is formed to include channel means for receiving the drawer slide member therein.
Supporting means is retained in the channel means for slidably supporting the drawer slide member in the channel means. The drawer slide member is slidable relative to the outer section from a retracted position in the outer section to a release position disengaging the outer section. In operation, the drawer slide member and a drawer mounted thereon is slidably disconnected from the outer section of the intermediate slide member without removing the supporting means from the channel means of the outer section as soon as the sliding drawer slide member exits from the channel means of the outer section at the release position.
In preferred embodiments, the supporting means includes a bearing race containing a plurality of ball bearings arranged to engage both of the outer section and the drawer slide member. These ball bearings roll freely in the channel means formed in the outer section as the drawer slide member is extended and retracted with respect to the outer section.
The supporting means also includes means for retaining the bearing race and its ball bearings in the channel means upon disengagement of the drawer slide member and the outer section at the release position. The retaining means includes at least one stop lug mounted on the outer section and positioned to engage the bearing race during movement of the drawer slide member toward its release Position disengaging the outer section. The stop lugs block further movement of the bearing race so that the ball bearings supporting the drawer slide member remain with the race in the outer section of the intermediate slide member following disengagement of the drawer slide member and the outer section.
The telescoping slide assembly further includes a locking lug on the cabinet slide member, a trigger lever including a hook arm and an actuator arm, and means for pivotably coupling the trigger lever to the intermediate slide member for movement between locked and unlocked positions. In the locked position, the hook arm is placed in engagement with the locking lug to block movement of the intermediate slide member relative to the cabinet slide member from a partly extended position toward a fully retracted position. In the unlocked position, the hook arm and the locking lug are disengaged to permit movement of the intermediate slide member toward the fully retracted position.
The telescoping slide assembly further includes spring means for yieldably biasing the trigger lever to its locked position so that the hook arm is arranged to engage the locking lug upon movement of the intermediate slide member to the partly extended position. The actuator arm of the trigger lever is positioned by the coupling means to lie in the path of the drawer slide member as the drawer slide member reciprocates in the channel means.
In operation, the drawer slide member is movable relative to the intermediate slide member to contact the actuator arm. The drawer slide member is movable in the same direction a further amount against the actuator arm to pivot the trigger lever from its locked position to its unlocked position so that the intermediate slide member is movable relative to the cabinet slide member from its partly extended position toward its fully retracted position. The drawer slide member acts to retain the trigger lever in its unlocked position as long as the drawer slide member remains in its fully retracted position with respect to the intermediate slide member.
One feature of the present invention is provision of a drawer slide member that slidably engages an intermediate slide member to establish connection of the drawer slide member to a telescoping slide assembly mounted in a cabinet. Advantageously, the drawer slide member in accordance with the present invention is easily incorporated into an over and under slide so that a drawer or chassis mounted on the slidable drawer slide member can be removed from the cabinet by sliding the drawer side member until it disengages the tracks provided in the outer section of the intermediate slide member. In addition, the drawer can be reinstalled in the cabinet simply by inserting each drawer slide member mounted onto the drawer into the open end of a companion outer section mounted on the intermediate slide members to establish sliding engagement of the drawer slide member and the intermediate slide member.
A telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidably engageable and disengageable from an intermediate slide member is an improvement over known telescoping slide assemblies having a drawer shelf that is configured to be lifted off an underlying drawer slide member to disconnect a drawer or chassis mounted on the drawer shelf from the rest of the slide assembly. It has been observed that such "lift off" shelves are difficult to remove and remount in practice. Further, lift-off shelves are typically made of thin material so that they are fragile and easily damaged during shipment and actual operation.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of supporting means retained in the channel means of the intermediate slide member for slidably supporting the drawer slide member in the channel means. Advantageously, the drawer slide member is completely removable from sliding engagement with the outer section of the intermediate slide assembly without removing any of the drawer slide member-supporting bearing means from the channel means. It has been observed that bearing means, especially ball bearings covered with a coating of grease, can become contaminated if removed from the intermediate slide member upon disconnection of the drawer slide member from the rest of a telescoping slide assembly. Further, it is oftentimes difficult to install a drawer slide member on an intermediate slide member if ball bearings are carried by the drawer slide member.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the provision of a telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidable toward its retracted position to unlock a trigger lever interconnecting intermediate and cabinet slide members. Otherwise, the trigger lever acts to block rearward movement of the intermediate slide member toward its retracted position relative to the stationary cabinet member. This represents an improvement over conventional manually actuated slide member-locking mechanisms which must necessarily be situated in a position on a telescoping slide assembly that is accessible to a user at the proper time.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.